Rising stars

Winning singers get to work

By Husnee Ngasakul
Photos by Varuth Hiruntheb

After an almost neck and neck competition, captivating dancer Vorakorn Sirisorn (Kang) triumphed over rock singer Teera Janyasirigoon (Tae) in the popular singing competition, The Star 10.

Before appearing on The Star, both Kang and Tae were familiar faces in the local entertainment industry. While 19-year-old Kang had been a member of boy band XIS, 23-year-old Tae was previously one of the 10 finalists at the KPN Award.

Like the previous champions from The Star, Kang and Tae have been busy performing at events and making media appearances. First prize winner Kang also recently released his first solo single, “Chab (Catch).” From June 27 to 29, the guys will perform with other champs from The Star at the 10 Years of Love The Star in Concert.

Student Weekly recently met up with Kang and Tae at the Exact office to hear all about their showbiz experiences.

Student Weekly: Apart from the final round, which part of The Star competition excited you the most?

Tae: The elimination round where eight finalists were chosen from 25 contestants was exciting because we all wanted to be finalists.

Kang: That was the first time we met other competitors from different provinces. They were all so talented.

Student Weekly: Can each of you tell us what you like about how the other performs?

Kang: Tae always performs naturally. His gigs are powerful because he interacts with the audience. People can see that he enjoys what he’s doing.

Tae: Encouragement from the fans gives us strength, especially their screams and neon signs. Kang works hard and he has improved since the beginning of the show.

Student Weekly: Tae, did you ever have to deal with difficult customers when you were singing at a pub?

Tae: Yes. Sometimes there were drunken men who liked to show off their dance steps in front of the stage. Some also looked for trouble in front of the pub. When something like that happened, I gave the security guards a signal from the stage and they’d take care of it.

Student Weekly: Kang, what was it like living in Japan when you were younger?

Kang: I was only 6 years old at the time, but it wasn’t hard. Japanese people didn’t discriminate against me, even though I was a foreigner. Parents don’t take their kids to school in Japan, so I had to walk to school with other kids from our neighbourhood. I also learned the basics of playing some musical instruments in Japan.

Student Weekly: Tae, can you recommend any places to visit in Nan, your home province?

Tae: There are a lot of temples where tourists can pay respect to Buddha, including the prominent sacred site Wat Phra That Chae Haeng and Wat Phra That Chang Kham Worawihan. Aside from temples, there are lots of mountains that are good for hiking in winter. Rafting is also recommended.

Student Weekly: Do either of you have a favourite place to visit?

Kang: I was impressed by Erawan Waterfall the most, although I only when there once during high school. I’d never been hiking before that. Walking to Erawan Waterfall felt like a great adventure because we had to climb up to the waterfall. The trip made me realise how beautiful mountains and waterfalls are.

Student Weekly: Kang, can you tell us about your first single, “Catch”?

Kang: I’m excited because it’s my first solo single. I tried to express myself as much as possible. I felt tense at first, but after listening to the song for a while I figured out how to sing it. The choreography in the music video is fun and fans can dance along easily. I’m really pleased with the single.

Student Weekly: How do you guys feel about working with other performers at the 10 Years of Love concert?

Tae: We first met the senior performers while filming the music video for “Rak Chan Kue Thoe [My Love Is You].” They were friendly and we had fun together.

Kang: Our seniors have more experience than us, so they always give us advice. I frequently meet Kangsom from The Star 8. He advises me about work and how to handle my studies.

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